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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A Highland Pearl...Review

About the book:A sweet romance blossoms amidst feuding and war. With her reputation at stake after being accused of practicing witchcraft and hated as a member of a rival clan, Maidie considers leaving Clan Munro and returning to the home of her birth in Clan Cameron. Fierce battles, a tragic encounter, and a handsome clan chief compel her to make crucial decisions in this haunting romance set in the 16th century Highlands of Scotland.Maidie is summoned to Fàrdach Castle of Easter Ross-shire to assist in caring for the wounded of Clan Munro after a battle with Clans MacKenzie and Cameron. She dreads the task since her husband, Kenneth Munro, was killed in an earlier battle. Maidie is a healer, taught by her mother, with the skills and knowledge needed to tend the wounds of Chief Andrew Dubh Munro who is seriously wounded.People in the castle and those in the village of Drumainn turn against Maidie. Angus, the castle physician, resents her for taking his job in caring for the chief. She is hated by some, because she is a member of the enemy Clan Cameron and came to live in Ferindonald, the Munro lands, with her husband.Maidie considers returning to the land of her birth in Clan Cameron with her young son, Sven, but falls in love with Andrew while caring for his wounds. Although her neighbors now call her a witch, she wishes to stay in Drumainn because of her love for the chief.Against an effort to guard his hardened heart from another hurtful encounter with a woman, Andrew falls in love with the tender, caring healer, Maidie. He wants her to stay in Drumainn, but his enemies, the Camerons and MacKenzies, have other plans.

I love historical fiction, but I struggled with this one and nearly didn't finish it. I didn't love the characters and I wanted to. However, the story moved too fast for me to get to know them or truly understand their situations. I also found it difficult to believe that Andrew could be up on a horse so soon after a terrible abdominal injury that required surgery. The ending was a bit too neat as well. There are many Gaelic phrases and while I was familiar with many, I didn't discover that the glossary was at the end until I finished the ebook. I think that putting it in the front so the reader knew it was available would have been more helpful. Still, the descriptions are rich, and Scotland is one of my most favorite settings for a novel.

This is the first in a series and mine is only one review and there are other, more positive reviews on Amazon and at other tour stops here.

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book! for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Brenda B. Taylor here. You can purchase your own copy here.

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